Valve-gear for gas-engines.



J. JBNOKES. VALVE GEAR FOR GAS ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 18, 1909.

Patented May 27, 1913.

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J. .M. JENCKES. VALVE GEAR FOR GAS ENGINES.

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APPLICATION FILED AUG. 18, 1909.

Patented May 27, 1913.

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J. M. JENCKES.

VALVE GEAR FOR GAS ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 18, 1909.

1,063, 1 62. I Patented May 27, 1913.

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APPLICATION FILED AUG.18, 1909.

1,063,, 1 62, Patented May 27, 1913.

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COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH co WASHINGTON, D. c.

JOSEPH M. JENCKES, OF OIL CITY, PENNSYLVANIA,

VALVE-GEAR FOR GAS-ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21,1913.-

Application filed August 18, 1909. Serial No. 513,434.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JosnPH M. J ENCKES,citizen of the United States, residing at Oil City, in the county ofVenango and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Valve-Gears for Gas-Engines, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to an improved valve gear for four-stroke-cycle gasengines.

The construction and operation of my invention are herein fully setforth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which show oneway in which my invention may be mechanically expressed. Certain detailsof construction could vary considerably, however, from that shown in thedrawings, without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a left side elevation of adouble-acting, fourstroke-cycle gas engine equipped with my improvedvalve gear. Fig. 2 is a right side elevation of such engine. Fig. 3 is aplan view of one end of the cylinder and shows the greater portion oftwo sets of valveactuating mechanism. Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged sideelevations of the main elements of my gear. Fig. 6 is a perspective viewof a portion of said gear. Fig. 7 1s a front elevation of the reducingor two-to-one gear by means of which my valve-actuating mechanism isharmonized or properly timed with the fourstroke-cycle of the engine,the eccentrics and the front of the gear-case being removed to show theconstruction more clearly.

The same reference numerals indicate identical parts in all the views.

The particular object of my invention is to provide a valve gear for gasengines, having valves of the puppet type, which Wlll operate suchvalves in a more easy and less injurious manner than the gearing nowcommonly employed,-one which will open or unseat the valve with lessjerk and close or reseat the same without shock and pound, as is nowcommonly the case.

Another object of my invention is to provide a valve operating mechanismwhich will positively actuate the valve in both directions,-b0th openingand closing,whereas, at present, nearly all puppet valves are closed bymeans of a spring, which occasionally fails to perform its function.

With these objects in view, I have devised a valve gear of thewrist-plate type and adapted the same to the operation of valves of thepuppet type.

In the drawings I have shown my improved valve gear applied to asingle-cylinder, double-acting, four-stroke-cycle engine, but,it isequally applicable to a single-acting engine, and to multi-cylinderengines, whether single or double acting; it is not, however, in theform shown, applicable to engines of the two-stroke cycle type.

The drawings show an engine in which both the inlet and exhaust valvesare mechanically operated, hence, gearing for the operation of two setsof valves is shown, but, inasmuch as any one set of gearing is identicalin its elemental construction with each other set,with slightmodifications which are apparent-one set of gearing will be describedand the description may be construed as applying to any other set. Theconstruction which I have shown in the drawings and prefer to employ issubsta11- tially as follows: Upon the side of the gas engine cylinder 1,I provide a suitable stubshaft 2 for the reception of two wrist plates 3and 4,-one to actuate the inlet valves and one to actuate the exhaustvalves. Upon the main shaft 5 of the engine I mount two eccentrics, 6and 7, by means of which, motion is imparted to the rockerarms 8 and 9,as is clearly shown in Fig. l. Said rockerarms are connected to thewrist-plates 3 and 4: by means of the carrier rods 10 and 11, and bythis construction an oscillating motion is transmitted to saidwristplates which is isochronal with the reciprocation of the enginepiston,that is to say, said oscillations are not synchronous with thevalve act-ion of a four-stroke cycle engine, but twice as frequent.

Referring especially to Fig. 4, I will now describe in detail thevalve-gear which is actuated by the wrist-plate 3: The arm of said plate3 is connected by means of a link 3 to the outer end of the arm 3", of abell crank; the other arm 12 of said bell crank (which in said Fig. 4:coincides in position with arm 12, hence see Figs. 3 or 6), carries uponits outer end a hook 13, (Fig. 6) adapted to engage the free end of thevalvelever arm 14, which is rigidly affixed to the shaft 15, and towhich shaft the valve-engaging and actuating lever 16 is rigidlyattached, that engages the valve-stem 17 and actuates the valve. In theposition shown in Fig. 4, the exhaust-valve has just closed and theinlet-valve is about to open, hence the arms 12 and 12', also thevalvelever arms 14 and 14 and the hooks 1'3 coincide in position,therefore but one of each is seen in said figure. The valve-gear whichis actuated by the wrist-plate 4: is substantially identical inconstruction with that actuated by plate 3, and is as follows,Fig. ibeing struction precisely as here shown, as it might on certain designsand types of engines, be preferable to engage the stem of the valvedirectly with the hook 13, thus dispensing with the shaft 15 and arm 14.

Inasmuch as the engine is, as aforesaid, a four-stroke cycle engine, andthe oscillation of the arms 12 and 12 are isochronal with thereciprocations of the piston, I provide means by which the hooks 13, 13are caused to engage their respective valve-lever arms lt, 14-" at eachalternate cycle of the vibration of said arms 12 and 12 and to swingclear of said valve lever arms respectively at each intermediate cycleof its vibration. For the purpose of securing such action of hooks 13 or13, I provide a reducing or timing gear 1-8,Fig. 2 which is shown infront elevation in Fig. 7, with the eccentries and the front portion ofthe case which incloses the gears removed. Said reducing gear consistsof a pinion 19 which is secured to its shaft 20, which shaft is revolvedby means of a cranlearm 21, that is connected to the crank-pin 22 of theengine, as shown in Fig. 2. A gear 23 meshes with and is driven bypinion 19. Gear 23 is twice the diameter of pinion 19, hence, the speedof said gear is one-half that of the pinion, also one half that of thecrank-shaft of the engine. Gear 23 is rigidly aflixed to its shaft 24and upon said shaft eccentrics 25 are mounted; said eccentrics areconnected by means of rods 26 to one arm 27 of a bellcrank, the otherarm 28 of said bell crank is coupled by means of a link 29 to an arm 30of another bell crank, and the other arm 31' of said bell-crank iscoupled by means of the link 32 to theupper arm 13 of -the hook 13. Bythis construction hook 13 is caused to engage arm 1i at one upwardstroke, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6, and to swing free of said arm 14:, asshown in Fig. 5 at its next upward stroke, thus properly the wrist-pinof the bell-crank 4.". The'arm 4: of the wrist-plate oscillatesacrossthis line as shown by the double-polnted arrow A .and it will be readilyunderstood that the movement of the various other related elements ofthe valve-gear 1s slowest at the instant the arm 4 is crossing saidcenter line;

I have, therefore, so arranged the operation of my gearing that thevalve-operating lever 1% will be engaged also released by hook 13 at orabout the instant the arm 4: is crossing said center line, and by saidai rangement all shock, jar and pounding of the valve upon its seat iseliminated,and one of the particular objects of my invention thusattained.

The operation of hook 13 is such that it not only engages the valvelever arm 14 at the proper time for opening the valve, but it retainsits hold thereon until the valve is nearly seated, and thus said valveis actuated in both its opening and its closing movement, in a positivemanner, whereas, when a spring only is employed for seating the valve,which is the usual practice, the force of the spring is not, alwayssuflicient to-overcome the frictional resistance of the valve,especially in instances where the -valve-sten1 passes through astufing-box, and for any reason becomes abnormally heated.

It is a fact well known to those familiar with the construction andoperation of gas engines, that in order to maintain and retain itsmaximum efficiency, it is essential that the valve-gear be capable ofsuch adjustment as to accurately provide for wear, that the proper.timing of the operating parts may be secured and their proper relationmaintained. Such adjustability is amply provided for in my gear and morefully attained than it has been in any other gas engine valve gear ofwhich applicant has knowledge, and while such adjustability is not apatentable feature of my invention, it adds to the value of thosefeatures which are novel and patentable.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. A valve gear for four-stroke cycle gas engines consisting of awrist-plate, means for oscillating said wrist-plateisochronally with thereciprocations of the engine piston, a bell-crank, means connected tosaid wristplate adapted to actuate. said bell-crank,

valve-actuating mechanism attached to said bell crank adapted topositively actuate a valve of such engine throughout its opening andclosing movement, and means for causlng said valve-actuating means toactuate said valve in harmony with the four-stroke cycle of the engine.

2 In a valve gear for four-stroke cycle gas engines, the combinationwith the main shaft and the valves of such engine, of a wrist-plate,means connected to said main shaft adapted to cause the oscillation ofsaid wrist-plate, a bell-crank adapted to be operated by means connectedto said wrist-plate, a valveactuating device carried by said bellcrankpositively operating one of said valves throughout its opening andclosing movement, a. reducing gear adapted to be operated by said mainshaft, an operating medium for said valve-actuating device connectingsaid device and said reducing gear and adapted to harmonize theoperation of said valve actuating device with the fourstroke cycle ofthe engine.

3. In a valve gear for four-stroke cycle gas engines, the combinationwith the main shaft and the valves of such engine, of a wrist-plate,means connected to said main shaft and adapted to oscillate saidwristplate isochronally with the reciprocations of the piston of saidengine, a be1l-crank,valveactuating means carried by said bell-crankadapted to positively operate one of said valves throughout its openingand closing movement, means connected to said wristplate and adapted tooperate said bell-crank, a reducing gear adapted to be operated by thecrank-pin of said engine, means connecting said reducing gear and saidvalve actu ating means to cause it to engage the stem of said valve ateach alternate vibration of said engaging means, for the purpose ofactuating said valve in harmony with the four-stroke cycle of saidengine.

I11 testimony whereof I atfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH M. J EN CKES.

Vitnesses E. R. INMAN, GILsoN SHAFFER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

Corrections in Letters Patent No. 1,063,162.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent N 0. 1,068,162, grantedMay 27, 1913, upon the application of Joseph M. J enckes, of Oil City,Pennsylvania, for an improvement in Valve-Gear for Gas-Engines, an errorappears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows:Page 1, lines 42, 53, and 59, for the Word puppet read poppet; and thatthe said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein thatthe same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 16th day of June, A. D., 1914.

[SEAL] J. T. NEWTON,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

